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Formatting a Pages CSV for Import

Written by Ryan Bickham
Updated yesterday

If you need to create a large number of pages at once, or if your pages include attributes and hierarchy relationships, importing via CSV is the fastest way to get everything into Sift. This article walks you through exactly how to format your file so the import goes smoothly.

Getting the Template

Rather than building your CSV from scratch, we recommend starting with the downloadable template available directly in Sift. To get it:

  1. Go to the Admin Dashboard and click Pages in the left-side navigation.

  2. Click on the Page Type you want to import pages for.

  3. From the All Pages tab, click "Import via CSV".

  4. Download the template file provided.

The template will already have the correct column headers in place, you just need to fill in your data.

Supported Columns

Column

Description

Name

The name of the page (e.g. "Engineering", "New York Office"). Each row represents one page. This field is required.

{Attribute Name}

You may include any columns in your file to update the profile attributes on the page. For example, if you have a "Description" attribute, you would include "Description" as the CSV header, and the description for each page on each row.

Org Leader Ids

Required to display this page as a node on the org chart.

A comma separated list of unique identifiers (employee ids or email addresses) for people to attach this page to on the org chart. For example, if you have a "Technology" department page, you can put the email address of the CTO here, and the Technology page will be displayed as a node attached to the CTO on the org chart

Org Chart Sequence

If this node is displayed on the org chart, this indicates the order it will be displayed relative to the other cards under the same leader. This should be a number greater than 0.

Formatting Tips

  • File format: Save your file as a .csv (comma-separated values). Programs like Excel and Google Sheets can both export to this format.

  • Column headers: Headers must match exactly, including capitalization and spacing. Use the downloaded template to avoid mismatches.

  • One page per row: Each row in your CSV represents a single page. Do not include a row for the Page Type itself.

  • Parent/child relationships: To nest pages under a parent, the parent page must either already exist in Sift or appear earlier in your CSV. If a referenced parent isn't found, the child page will still be created but without the hierarchy relationship.

  • Special characters: Avoid line breaks or commas within a cell unless the cell value is wrapped in double quotes (standard CSV formatting).

  • Blank cells: Optional columns can be left blank. Sift will skip empty values rather than overwriting existing data.

Running the Import

Once your file is ready:

  1. Click "Import a Data CSV" from the All Pages tab of your Page Type.

  2. Upload your completed CSV file.

  3. Review any errors or warnings flagged before confirming.

  4. Click "Start Import" to complete the process.

Pages will appear in your All Pages table once the import is finished. If any rows failed to import, Sift will indicate which ones and why so you can correct and re-import as needed.

Need Help?

If you run into issues with your import, reach out to us at support@justsift.com and we'll be happy to help.

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